Telemedicine vs. Face-to-Face Cancer Genetic Counseling in Rural Oncology Clinics
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 130
- Locations
- 8
- Primary Endpoint
- Patient satisfaction
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Cancer genetic counseling (CGC) has been found to have "substantial" benefits for individuals with breast cancer and their family members; it has been deemed by multiple organizations as "standard of care" for women with breast cancer and their relatives. Unfortunately, there is a disparity in access to CGC, especially among women who live in rural and underserved areas. In North Carolina, only two cancer genetic counselors practice in rural clinics - each only for a few days per month. Therefore, in an effort to make CGC more widely available in a timely manner, we propose to test provision of counseling through telemedicine (TM), in which a patient and health care provider communicate with each other using videoconferencing. In 4 rural oncology clinics, we will implement low-cost TM and compare satisfaction and cost-effectiveness between groups of women designated to have their CGC session by TM or FTF. We'll use a validated measure to assess satisfaction by a phone survey one week after the CGC appointment; cost-effectiveness will be measured at project's end by calculating length of wait time for appointment and costs of equipment, labor, and mileage. Study hypothesis: TM is as satisfactory as FTF counseling and is a more cost-effective way to provide this beneficial service.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Health Services Research
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Individuals referred for cancer genetic counseling (e.g., by medical oncologist, primary care physician or self) in one of 4 oncology clinics: Gibson Cancer Center in Lumberton, NC; Scotland Cancer Treatment Center in Laurinburg, NC; Johnston Cancer Center in Smithfield, NC; and Maria Parham Cancer Center in Henderson, NC.
- •Willing to be randomized to receive counseling via telemedicine or face-to-face.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Referred for cancer genetic counseling from any clinic other than the 4 listed above.
- •Unwilling to be randomized to receive counseling via telemedicine or face-to-face.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Patient satisfaction
Time Frame: One week post-intervention (genetic counseling session)
Secondary Outcomes
- Cost-effectiveness(Enrollment completion)